Holy Shows!! (and a really long blog)

It was a CRAZY CRAZY weekend!! I had not one, but TWO shows. A holiday craft show at Infusion Tea. I posted about their last event i participated in. I did PHENOMENAL at the one back in October. Sadly, i think they got a tad lazy advertising for this show, and the turn out wasn't to great. The first four hours were deader then dead. (Okay, i shouldn't say that, but there were barely any buyers, and a handful of "lookers"). I ended up during quite decently, which was a blessing. Then i ran to work from 6-12:30am, drove home, and headed to Sarasota at 6am. Twas now i was really tired.



1) The set up was done. My favorite show trio (including myself) was back in action. Well..they were reading after set up was done. I was in action. :)

2) Karen with one of her "Holiday Holly" head bands.

3) I LOVE this picture. Lindsey and Riley both look upset.

4) After a long day at work on Friday, a 5am wake up call for a long show on Saturday and a 5am drive to Sarasota on Sunday, Riley was ready for a nap.



We allowed ourselves 3 hours to get to Sarasota/Atomic on time, but it only took us 2.5, so we walked around and took pictures while we waited to set up. We found this awesome fish. Come on! Like you wouldn't have taken pictures with him!


Atomic was incredible!! There were at least 50 people waiting outside to come in when we opened at noon. That's even more then Stick Rock!! (I think, anyone know?)



I was a little nervous at first since all the people were just wandering, and not really looking or buying, but after a couple deep breaths (suggestion from Riley) and about 20 minutes, it was normal in Cherry Runway land. In fact, it was even more busy then my usual Cherry Land. It was insane at some points. Riley was actually making basic pieces! (go figure! my talented boy!) Customers were asking for so many custom requests, Riley had to take charge, greet and sell everyone for me. It was brilliant!! This was by far, my most successful show as of yet, and i am so so so thankful!!

Another amazing thing happened! I ACTUALLY LOOKED AROUND. I usually don't leave my table "just in case" so i never end up seeing everything, meeting people or buying anything. It's a sad fact i keep getting upset with myself for. But this show, we had plenty of time for chatting and looking before the doors even opened. It was SO FUN looking at how talented people are. Of course i had to take the time to see a few of my favorites artists, who were conveniently near my table. Sarah from "Felt and Paper" and Andrea and Paul from Paper Sparrow and Bungle Bear.

I also made a few new friends. Karyn and Alex from "Fat Orange Cat" has adorable aprons, bags and paper goods. They arrived at Atomic a tad to early and we chatted for a little while, by the fish. Both of them were fun and sarcastic (my favorite type of people) and Riley and I enjoyed talking with them. Becca Mari had a beautiful selection
of girly delicacies. Her table set up and pieces were all glitzy and gorgeous. Becca was a sweet heart too. I didn't really get to see her after the show, but i hope you did well Becca!! I also enjoyed chatting with Tina from Tinahdee Her pieces were very pretty and the inspirational saying were lovely. They fueled my engine for my next round of metal smithing classes.



Riley is getting even better/quicker with my table set up. How in the world did i find a boy who not only puts up with me, but actually sets up my table at shows. We've done so many shows together now, he gets upset if i even try to help. (Lindsey can agree to that.)

I am a lucky lucky gal!!!!


All and all it was an incredible weekend. I am so thankful for friends, boyfriends, amazing crafters and most of all, all of my amazing customers. To whom i am utterly grateful for. Thank you so much!! To all of you!! With you there would be no Cherry Runway. :)

I am so blessed!! :) Happy Holidays ya'll!! We only ONE WEEK TILL CHRISTMAS!!

To you my friends...

This promotion is only till the end of the year, so hurry along folks!!!

Holiday Ho-Down!!

It's been a pretty busy time right now, which is funny considering how little I'm actually working at a job these days. In the last two months i went from working 45-50 hour weeks to working less then 30 hours. Last year at this time i was consumed by work, this year I'm begging for hours. It's incredible. I know I'm obviously not the only one struggling with this, and should consider myself lucky since i still have at least one of my two jobs, but its still scary.



Regardless, i still had a VERY nice Thanksgiving. I spent it with my lovely boyfriend, and his fab family. Their TG was quite different from my own. I never had a very big family, and our "family things" never lasted very long, so this was a new experience for me.



Riley's mom gifted us with a Christmas tree at Thanksgiving, and we set up last Satuday. Isn't it pretty? We sure think so. So much, that we had a fun photo shoot that night.

Hope your having a nifty holiday season!

So Santa Says....."I wouldn't want you to do anything that wasn't fun".

I'm at Panera and saw Santa. The real one I'm sure. For some reason i guess it surprised me..so i dropped my glass of water all over myself and the floor. As I'm standing there shocked, wet and stuttering i get out; "Well, that was fun."

Santa responds by saying.."Well, that's good. I wouldn't want you to do anything that wasn't fun." Then walks away.

Twas a fun experience i wanted to share. Now back to your scheduled programing...

Meanwhile...in Cherry Runway land..

I have two amazing shows coming up, which I'm more then excited about. I've been trying to work day and night to create more jewels for the shows. Come out to "Infusion Tea" in College Park on December 13th for Homemade for the Holidays!! And the ATOMIC BAZAAR is the one I'm extremely scyked for. That one is in Sarasota on interestingly enough, December 14th! It's going to be a crazy couple weeks!!!

So far, my work has paid off, but i have so much more to make!!

AND...i have two bits of exciting news.

1) I saw my first customer wearing some of my jewelry! I've been selling in Orlando for almost 2.5 consecutive years now, and I've never once seen anyone wearing my jewelry. A customer looked really familiar at Antro, and i went up to chat with her. I knew she looked familiar because she frequents the gallery i work at as well. And i shouted "omgosh, your wearing my earrings!" which got quite the "Huh?" response. I told her i work at the gallery as well, and am an artists there, and those are earrings i created. I was gleaming, and couldn't content my smile. I told almost all of my Antro co-workers. Most were quite excited for me. Twas a nice thing.

AND!!

2) In one my last posts, i mentioned how i was asked and accepted into a new shop called Flourish. Well, she's had my jewels for about a week now, and she e-mailed me the other day and told me i already had my first sale. In the FIRST WEEK!! How stellar is that?? Sigh...so awesome. She sold one of my "Martini Yourtini" necklaces.



Come get one for yourself! I mean, who DOESN'T want a Martini glass necklace? Seriously! :)

So, that's all folks, I've been a busy bee, as always. I hope you have been too! Have a stress free Holiday season!! I shall write again soon.

Peace! :)

Loads of new Etsy items up!!

Many of these items are on my website too!

Gift Card Alert!!

I was blog shopping this morning and some how got to this wonderful blog. Kristine posts about her adventures with adopting a child, complete with timeline and artists spotlights. Check her out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~so...on to the gift card issues...

Many stores will be closing shop soon, but are still selling gift cards through the holidays. these cards will be useless come January 1. no law prevents them from doing so, referred to as 'bankruptcy planning’. here is a list of some stores that may pose potential problems for those shopping with gift cards…

Circuit City filed Chapter 11
Ann Taylor 117 stores nationwide closing
Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug ,and Catherine’s to close 150 stores nationwide
Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January
Cache will close all stores
Talbots closing down specialty stores
J. Jill closing all stores (owned by Talbots)
Pacific Sunwear closing all stores (also owned by Talbots)
GAP closing 85 stores
Footlocker closing 140 stores more to close after January
Wickes Furniture closing down
Levitz closing down remaining stores
Bombay closing remaining stores
Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January
Whitehall closing all stores
Piercing Pagoda closing all stores
Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January.
Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ ( New Brunswick )
Macys to close 9 stores after January
Linens and Things closing all stores
Movie Gallery closing all stores
Pep Boys closing 33 stores
Sprint/Nextel closing 133 stores
JC Penney closing a number of stores after January
Ethan Allen closing down 12 stores.
Wilson Leather closing down all stores
Sharper Image closing down all stores
K B Toys closing 356 stores
Lowes to close down some stores
Dillard’s to close some stores

So please, just buy handmade and you won't have this problem!!! I mean, you all NEED jewelry right? Every one's got a mother, and I'm sure many of you have sisters, friends, girlfriends, wife's...you just MUST need jewelry. Ha. Okay, my solicitation is finished. Hope your all having a glorious day!!

Yay! I'm "Flourish"ing!!

I was recently e-mailed by lovely lady named Vanessa asking if i would be an artist in her shoppe. Flourish Boutique is in South Bend, Indiana. Her shop just opened a few months ago and is doing quite well already! All of the other artists that are apart of her shop are delighted and told me i should be honored to have been contacted by Vanessa. Flourish has an abundance of handmade creations ranging from fine art, clothing, shoes, accessories, jewelry, and home decor.

Although I'm really weary of consignment after some of the other fiasco's I've encountered, I'm still very excited about this opportunity. Vanessa seems extremely put together, had a well written contact, and everyone had so many nice things to say. It was an offer i couldn't refuse. I sent off a selection of my jewels on Monday. Below is just a few to make an appearance.











and matching earrings!



I'm so excited to be a part of Flourish. I hope my jewelry Flourishes. Har har. :)

Hope your having a peachy holiday season so far!!

Inspiration Wanted!!

I'm having trouble paying attention today. I'm at my favorite tea house, drinking wonderful tea and eating my FAVORITE cookie, and yet, i can't concentrate. I'm having inspiration block, having issues writing descriptions to update my Etsy and website. It's bumming me out! No worries though. I'm thankful i still have the whole beautiful day ahead of me, plenty of things to get done, and a fun date planned for Riley and I later tonight.

I hope your all having a inspirational day!!

I present you...APARTMENT ART!!!

If you actually follow my blog, you know i work at a SWWWEET shoppe called Anthropologie. I work on the visual team with two wonderful, amazingly talented ladies. Elizabeth and Karen. Together the three of us (well..mostly them, put all the crafty displays and details you see in our store. It's an amazing job, and i'm very lucky to be surrounded by so much talent!!

The three of us have been talking about having an art show for months and here is the 1st one. November 2nd. I am more then stoked!

-- flyer curtosy of John Cox

Apartment Art started once upon a time when three "antropologists" wanted to show the local world how fantastic handmade art and craft could be. Thus, Apt Art was born. Jenipher "jewelry extortioner", Karen, "the felt queen", and Elizabeth "illustration genius" are the head dogs of this sweet project. Come see us and many more splendid artists at Austin Coffee and Film on November 2nd from 11-5. We are having a stellar day of cool artists, sweet tunes, and the food and atmosphere are awesome already!!!

-- logo curtosy of Riley Tuff

I hope to see you out there!!

PS: Our myspace is seriously lonly! We need friends! Please befriend our Myspace! www.myspace.com/apartmentart

Infusional Inspiration.

I know, again, i always apologize, but i've been a bad blogger..again!!

Right now I'm at my favorite tea house so it's so much easier to be a good girl blogger. Except...that the internet is on the fritz here, and my computer is dying, and i've only been here an hour. It's been enough to recharge though, so I'm still thankful. It's been a crazy couple months, full of drama and excitement. Many things have been learned, taught, responded to, understood, misunderstood. Alas, at this moment, i can say i have a new appreciation to my jewelry, to my loving boyfriend and his family. To my favorite, and my future surrounded by all of these relationships. I'm in a good place right now, and i hope to move here permanently. Cross your fingers!!

Arg....still no internet.

I am still internetless....BUT i just started taking my jewelry fabrication classes. In the 1st class i met a bunch of friendly, eager women. We made a Sterling silver ring from start to finish. It was a great class; the teacher was friendly and patient. My beautiful ring, which is a little hammered band sits happily on my right pointer finger.

This week we are supposed to sketch a design for a pendent we are starting next week. It's supposed to be the size of a postage stamp and not to intricate. We are given little gemstones to set in the pendent.

I already have a few designs I'm working on, and am very excited to start this project! :)

No internet, New Items and Shows...oh my!

Ok friends..this is just killing me. i STILL don't have Internet access. I'm hiding in the back of a Panera using their Internet. I can't stay for long, just long enough to upload some new items on thy website and etsy. Check these babies out! :)



Also...i have loads of exciting shows coming up.

* Every 2nd Thursday i participate in Sanford's "Alive at 5" event, which i've written about before.

* I am also going to be at Infusion Tea - Orlando's 1st "Fall in Love with Handmade" event, which I'm stoked about. It;s held at my favorite tea house, Infusion Tea on Sept. 27th.

* THEN!! Stitch Rock will take the stage on October 4th. I am soooo very excited to be part of this event. I applied last year and didn't attend, but this year, i have got my table and everything and am ready to rock.

* Art Farm is a local artsy events in downtown Orlando. I don't know a ton about it, except it seems awesome. This event is Oct. 19th.

And lastly...but certainly not least, i am very excited to be participating in the Atomic Bazaar. I have read many articles about this stellar event, and am proudly wearing my grin at my Cherry Runway table on December 14th.

Come to these shows folks!! You won't be disappointed! :)

It's been toooo long!!

I know i've stated this for ages now, almost monthly it seems. This time it's legitimate though! I haven't had the internet for almost two months! It's been sad, very sad.

Better on my carpol tunnel though. ;)

I have good news though!!

Everyone's two favorite necklaces are BACK.





I have even been making some new creations i shall post soon. I hope your all having a swell week! I look forward to the internet returning, and writing again soon.

Tootles. :)

Clutch On To Those Animals!!

Okay, i am beyond excited about Meg's animal clutches!! Meg's shoppe, Tsurbride is where she sells her sweet leather animal bags and wallets. Her husband is also an artist, so make sure to check out his Etsy too!!



*How long have you been crafting?

My mom first taught me how to sew when I was 7 years old, so it's been about 20 years now. I started by making some pretty terrible looking clothes for my Barbie dolls. Eventually, after much guidance I got better and ended up going to college for fashion design. Since I graduated I've been working a technical designer for various fashion brands (it's sort of like being an engineer but for clothes). Once I started working I put my sewing on the back burner, but my step-daughter got my going again when she asked me to make some clothes for her Bratz dolls. Once I started back up I couldn't stop!



*Did you always craft in this genre?

Pretty much. I always like to dabble in different things though such as photography, painting, and even jewelry making - my mother-in-law taught me how, and it was with the jewelry I made that I first started my Etsy store. I have a blog where I like to post the crafty things my husband and I get up to: www.tsurubride.com.

*Who or what inspires you?

I come from a very artistic family. Both my grandmothers were big sewers, my brother and I would always draw cartoons or build things growing up, and my mother has always inspired me through her endless encouragement. Now my husband inspires me too. He was the one who really pushed me into started my own business and is always doing what he can to help me out. Coco Chanel was one of my early inspiration, her start as a millener to one of the greatest fashion houses - a real rag to riches story - and while my aspirations have never been that lofty, it can't help but move you and make you try your best.



*What defining moment made you decide to turn your hobby into a business?

As I started above, my husband was always encouraging me to grown my hobby. With the purses, they just kinda started taking off on their own. First one friend wanted one, then another. I would go out on the town on the weekends, and people would ask me where I got my purse from, and after enough requests I realized that maybe I could expand my hobby into more. It's been a gradual transition, starting the business as made to order, but now I'm trying to create stock and apply to some craft shows.



*What changes were made to your regular schedule to make this go from a hobby to a business?

I still work full time but my nights and weekends have definitely gotten busier! Some of the steps I can do just chilling out watching TV, like tracing out patterns and cutting out fabric, and then I try to set aside some nights and weekend hours to just sewing. Things are moving at a good pace for me though: time to work, time to craft, and time to relax. It's a healthy balance.

* You have an amazing talent, with great product! What do you find is the best way to market yourself?

Thanks so much! I'm still starting out so my marketing will need to continue to grow as I do. Word of mouth is still a big part of my business, my blog attracts some traffic, and every now and then I'll buy a showcase on Etsy. My biggest marketing force is my husband. He also has a blog that talks about music (www.tsururadio.com) and he gets a lot of traffic. He has a ad for my blog, and he always talks about me in posts, and he's also a member of a number of forums that he uses to pimp out my shop. He's a marvel. I also find always carrying my product is a simple and free form of marketing. Whether I'm out during the week with my tote, or out at night with a clutch, you never know who might stop you and ask you where you got it. I always carry business cards, just in case. I've also just joined an Etsy Street Team for Columbus, who are all about cross-promoting, and who are also just a great group of people.




*What challenges have you found while taking your craft into the business world?

I think the hardest thing is having people place value on the idea of something being homemade. People don't always realize the time that goes into something, and so they expect to be able to get your product on the cheap. I have had a couple offers for wholesale, but the asking rate is so low that it would just cover my cost of materials, and forget about labor! There's also cold calling on stores, asking if they're interested in your product, it's never an easy thing to do, and I can get stage fright sometimes.



*If someone from out of town were visitng you, what key places would you bring them to?
(galleries, coffee shops, parks, museums, etc)

The Short North area for sure. It's just North of the downtown core and filled with great galleries, restaurants and shops. I've always lived close by the area since I moved to Columbus and whether I'm walking there or biking there I love having such a great little area close by. I also love the Topiary Garden - they're sculptures are a representation of Georges Seurat's painting "A Sunday On The Island Of La Grande Jatte" -- makes for some great photos!



Whether your an animal fan or not, you'll surely love these fun bags! So head over to Meg's etsy to see her sweet treats!

Reduced Prices = YAY!

Okay friends! After a LOONG amount of deliberation, i have finally come to a conclusion. I am reducing almost all of my prices for my Cherry Runway jewels. Thus on, i am bringing you more stellar items at even more affordable prices. Check out my website and Etsy and see for yourself!!



Was: $25.00 NOW: $19.00



Was: $25.00 NOW: $18.00



Was: $30.00 NOW: $20.00



Was: $30.00 NOW: $20.00




Was: $16.00 NOW: $12.00



Was: $16.00 NOW: $12.00




Was: $25.00 NOW: $19.00

Go check out all of the sales!! And more importantly....enjoy!!

Sanford - Alive After 5

Thanks to everyone who came out, chatted with me and enjoyed my jewelry last night! I had a brilliant time, and met some wonderful people!!

To those of you who came back more then once, even bringing other people to show them something you loved, i really appreciate it. It makes me so happy that everyone is enjoying my work.

To the Lugo's - who prolly don't read this, but Dan does...i loved seeing you! Thanks so much for stopping by!!

Sigh...good times. Good times.

------And now for the laughs of the evening--------

A lady came up to my booth and shouted "oh my gosh! your so cute!" then looked at Riley and said "Oh my gosh, so are you!! You two are going to have such beautiful babies!"

Hahaha...thanks?

Another wonderful lady named Tammy gave Riley and I advice for a happy, lasting marriage. Today was definitely the night for advice.

Happy Birthday Riley!!

Last Sunday was Riley's birthday. It was a wonderful full day of activity, laughter and no stress on my part! (which is quite a feat in itself!) We woke up and went to church, then headed to see Wall-E. The movie was really cute, i recommend it to anyone who likes a sweet animation. It's actually quite cool that the movie had barely any actual talking it in, but still managed to show so much emotion. {and the fact, that it's about emotional robots}.

After the movie, we killed time at our favorite store. Barnes and Noble. Sigh...we can spend hours at bookstores. i love them! Kobe Steakhouse is a Asian place that does hibachi at the table and they offer $15.00 off on your birthday so we headed there next. They put on a little show while they cook your food and give you a whooole plate full. {I had enough to eat to be full and two days of left overs!} It's a fun place. Tis highly recommend.

We came home and went running, and then, sadly, the day was over. It was a great day though. Hope your weekend was brilliant as well!!

Food and Me are Good Friends.

It's AMAZING how scared...okay fine...intimidated Riley was in the kitchen just a couple months ago. Now, it's as though he's turned pro. Reading and following whole recipes, and coming up with these amazing meals, all himself. I find it rather impressive. Above are a few photos of the food greatness i've been partaking in.

Lucky Me!!

Introducing...my Copper Collection.

I wanted to create a collection of jewelry that emphasizes my love for Vintage inspired jewelry. This copper gem is my favorite of my new collection. A nice sized, faceted, Opal Quartz sits under a vintage inspired, textured triangle bead cap. A tiny Garnet lays under the Opal. A little Brass flower houses a creamy Freshwater Pearl and another tiny Garnet accent. This lovely selection hangs on a 22" Copper chain, and has my signature cherry dangling off of a round copper clasp. The matching earrings hang on elongated Copper ear wires.

Life > Work

It's been a while....

Life has been getting in the way of my own work. My jobs, family and boyfriend are taking up all of my time. I really am trying to blog more. I went home and had a ton of blogging ideas, but annoyingly, my family's internet was down. Thus, i wasn't able to blog at all. More about that later. Today i FINALLY updated my website, and Etsy site with new items.

What ya think?

Typewriters, Irons, and Artwork! Oh My!

I've been admiring Michele's work for AGES!!! I just look at her work longingly, wishing i could buy all of it!! (or at least any of it, and one day Michele i promise i will!) Buying things right now just aren't in the cards right now, so I'm just drool over her work. And you should too!! Not only is her work amazing, but she's super friendly. And inspiring to anyone who is just waiting for the day they would like to take their art to the next level and make it their full time job. So sit back, look at the pretty pictures and look at the stellar work before you.



*How long have you been crafting?

I have been making things and art for just about 8 years now, but ever since I can remember I have loved to create things. Art was always my favorite activity in school, and it's something that I have always been driven to do.

*Did you always craft in this genre?

I have always stayed pretty close to the fine arts. Both of my grandmothers tried to teach me how to crochet. They also tried to teach me how to sew and hook rugs, but I never really took to it. However, I did really love drawing and making watercolor paintings for people.



*Who or what inspires you?

I like to find inspiration in things that make up my everyday life. A favorite cup, a vintage typewriter, my favorite water towers,certain flowers...these are the things that surround me. I have always liked the idea of art as a journal, or a story, and that is what I am trying to achieve with my work right now.

*What defining moment made you decide to turn your hobby into a business?

I don't know if there was a defining moment, but there was certainly a defining time. I recently moved to Pontiac, Michigan while my boyfriend attends graduate school at Cranbrook. I had been looking for a job for almost two months. I must have turned in over 30 resumes, and had several interviews, and still I had nothing. I have almost 6 years of experience working as an assistant department manager for a couple of health food stores, and had actually had three different interviews for one here. However, they wanted to start me off as a cashier, and I had promised myself 2 years ago that I would never, ever, cashier again. Out of all the various jobs I have had, that is my least favorite...and I swore I would never do it again no matter how much I needed the work. So, when they offered that job to me I said no. I said that I would much rather keep looking for another opportunity, or work on making art my full time job...and here I am :)



*What changes were made to your regular schedule to make this go from a hobby to a business?

I didn't have to change a whole lot, because this is what I started doing full time. However, there are a few things that I had to learn to do to keep myself on track. I always make a to-do list. If this doesn't get done I feel like my head is spinning in circles. Also, I had to learn to take breaks. I would try to get everything done in one go, but things just don't work that way. I had to teach myself that it's ok to take breaks and stretch my legs every now and then.

* You have an amazing talent, with great product! What do you find is the best way to market yourself?

Well, I am still pretty new to this, but I have found that having a blog is a great way to promote yourself. It gives people a chance to see what I am working on and it gives them a little bit of a sneak peak. It also allows people to connect with me, as an artist. People can see where I am coming from through the writing in my blog. They can get to know me on more of a personal level, and I think that is really important when it comes to viewing art work, or even when making a decision to purchase a piece of work.

My blog address is http://www.how2drawacupofcoffee.blogspot.com just in case you'd like to check it out.



*What challenges have you found while taking your craft into the business world?

One of the biggest challenges is that there is a lot of competition in the art world. Sometimes it's all just a matter of being at the right place at the right time, or even knowing the right people. I am not much of an outgoing person. In fact I have had a really hard time talking to people, especially about my work. Unfortunately, this is something that is REALLY important when it comes to selling art and making all those right connections. But, I am working on it, and I think with the help of the internet I am building more and more confidence in talking to people and discussing my work.



*If someone from out of town were visitng you, what key places would you bring them to? (galleries, coffee shops, parks, museums, etc)

Well, the Detroit Institute of Art just finished their big remodel so I would definitely take them there. There is also a handful of great little boutiques and cool art related businesses in Royal Oak. One of them being the 323 Gallery on East Third in Royal Oak. Also in Royal Oak is an amazing Farmer's Market where you can literally buy a weeks worth of groceries for about $20-40 bucks. This includes breads, meats, cheeses, herbs...all from local farmers! It's really amazing and I shop there every Saturday :) I love promoting local arts and farmers, because I think it's SO important, especially here in Michigan, to support small business people, and the environment.



Head over to Michele's etsy, or her blog (where she posts on a daily basis, with pictures!). Enjoy!

Saturday Morning Pancakes

Don't you love those Saturday mornings, when you don't have anywhere to be. (Well, not very early anyways..) Those Saturday mornings, you can take the moments , enjoy the morning Sunday and make delicious Saturday Morning Pancakes.

Enjoy those pancakes all year round, on every day of the year. These "pancakes" are round rondelles of a dark stained wood, with a Jade "cherry" on top. Dangling below are a cute set of Pewter fork and knife charms.

Eat Up!!

Up Up Applique!

Kajsa from Syko is a very interesting women indeed! She started off as an Ethologist, but her field of study is/was contemporary events. Initially she chose to study Ethnology because she loved folk art so much, and now instead, she's creating it! Her sweet illustrations are appliqued mainly on linens such as coasters, and applique!



How long have you been crafting?

I got hooked on knitting when I was 14-15, but I have followed my creative parent's various projects with great enthusiasm since I was a child. So I grew up in a creative environment.



Did you always craft in this genre?

I used to be a passionate knitter, but since I did my first quilt, now over ten years ago my hobby has grown to a home studio. I started to make appliqués on clothes when my daughter was born 6 years ago. At some point I noticed that my naive doodles look quite good turned into appliqués. I have tried many different crafts, but fabric and thread is the media I feel most comfortable in.



Who or what inspires you?

Children's drawings and illustrations for kids, naive folk art, colours, materials (fabrics, buttons, ribbons, patterns), people and everyday life (= my family and friends)

What defining moment made you decide to turn your hobby into a business?

I have always dreamed of doing something creative, I was on maternity leave, tired of my current job and found etsy. I sold quite well on etsy and that was just what I needed to prove to myself and others that I could do this.



What challenges have you found while taking your craft into the business world?

All the paper work it includes and especially the marketing part, I wish I had a personal manager!




If someone from out of town were visiting you, what key places would you bring them to? (galleries, coffee shops, parks, museums, etc)

That would depend on the person, of course. I usually take my crafty guests to a great store here in town that sells English quality fabrics (like Designer's guild, Laura Ashley and Liberty) to bargain prices. I would probably take them to the old castle here in town too. And maybe a coffee at Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova, a museum with a nice café.

What I'm Reading...

Wish Me Luck...

So..a little while back i posted about a pearl necklace i made as a prototype for a shoppe in South Florida. Well the time has come, and i have made another prototype and a small portfolio to show the company as well. Above is the final catalog product. I am going to go there sometime at the end of the week, so please cross your fingers they like my work! :)